Single control with reflex action for helicopter type flying apparatus



' May 30, 19336 R. P. PESCARA SINGLE CONTRQL WITH REFLEX ACTION FORHELICOPTER TYPE FLYING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 24, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1May 30, 1933. R p PESCARA 1,912,354

SINGLE CONTROL WITH REFLEX ACTION FOR HELICOPTER TYPE FLYING APPARATUSFiled D90. 24, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 e727 mam.

I mentor By Fad/71% ttorncy Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED "STATES PATENTOFFICE RAUL PATEBAS PESCARA, OF BARCELQNA, SPAIN @INQLE 'EUNTROL WITHREFLEX ACT ION FOR HELICOPTER TYPE FLYING APPARATUS Application filedDecember 24, 1980, Serial No. 504,588, and in Spain December 80, 1929.

The invention relates to a single control, with reflex action, torapparatus of the Helicopter type, and more particularly for apparatus ofthis kind which are fitted with two. co-axially arranged sustaininghelices, with variable incidence, turning in opposite directions.

It has i r its principal object to simplify the centre s of the saidapparatus.

lt consists essentially in combining in one single control device thethree following actions, which must be exercised on the sustaininghelices by means or either fixed or turnable elements.

1. The general simultaneous variation of the angle of incidence of allthe helices, for the rising operations, the descent and for remainingwithout movement in a. fixed point of space, that is hovering.

2. The periodic difierential variation of incidence of the sustaininghelices, to create in any plane passing through the axis of gy ration ofthe said helices a warping couple serving to efiect the stabilization ofthe inclination of the apparatus.

3. The di'derential variation of the incidence of the helices turning inopposite directions, which creates a disparity of the resisting couplesof these helices, a disparity which, transmitted to the nacelle or bodywhich they support, cause it to turnaround the axis of gyration of thesaid helices, thus producing stability of tilting.

The invention consists furthermore inrendering reflex the actions whichthe pilot exercises on the single controlling device, imparting to it arising movement for the ascent, a downward movement for the to descent,and of tilting parallel to the subsequent plane to which it issuitableto incline the apparatus and in the direction of this inclination;finally in making it turn on itself in the direction which the nacelleor body of the apparatus must turn.

In addition to these general arrangements;

the invention consists more especially in diverse other arrangementsparticularly described hereafter, to which, as well as to all devicesutilizing its principles or its elecontrolling apparatus, seen fromments, the protection of'the present patent must extend.

In every way, the invention will be easily understood with the aid ofthe explanations which follow and from the annexed draw ings, which mustbe considered only as examples of its application.

Fig. 1 represents the arrangement of the the front and partly insection. i

Fig. 2 represents the same arrangement seen in plan and partly insection through A B, omitting several parts for greater clearness ofdrawings. 1

Fig. 3 is a detail of (an important element.

- Fig. 4 diagrammatically illustrates the two superposed helices withtheir connections to the control mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

According to the invention and more particularly to the most complicatedconstructional embodiment which can be shown, assuming that one has anhelicopter lifted by two superposed helices turning insoppositedirections, the control of said helices consisting for example ofcircuits turning with one of said helices.

In the drawings, 10 is the shaftwhich turns with the upper helix, 11 twoof the circuits which impart at the same time to the blades of bothhelices, the movements of equal or differential variation of incidenceand 12 a sliding rod which imparts to the blades of one helix onlymovements of equal variation of incidence, and so gives rise to adiilerence between the resultant couples of both of the helices,adifi'erence which causes the aircraft to execute a turning movement.

I will fit a control wheel (13) that the pilot can turn in alldirections, which communiso cates its movement of gyration by means ofcardans 14 and 15, connected respectively by 47 and 49 which slide oneupon the other when the said cardans 14 and 15 approach or recede theone from the other, to a system of 95 bevel gearing 16, supported bybrackets 17 fixed to the nacelle of the apparatus. One of the bevelledpinions is integral with a piece 18 provided with a groove whichsupported by the bracket can only have a movement of rotation. The saidpiece 18 is screw threaded on the interior and traversed by the screwthreaded rod 12 already referred to.

The spindle of the wheel 13 turns in two bearings 19 and 20 which formpart of a lever 21 terminated by a fork 22 jointed at 23 on another fork24 forming part of a lever 25, of which mention will be made hereafter.The centre of the cardan 14 will be disposed advantageously at the pointof intersection of 25 and of the axis of the control wheel. The fork 22is extended by 27 and is jointed at 28 with another fork 29 of aconnecting rod 30, which carries at its other extremity another fork 34jointed at 31 on a bell shaped casing 32 hereafter referred to.

The lever 25 comprises a ring 26 provided with two bearings 48 in whichpivot the stub axles 33 of the bell shaped casing On an extension 'ofthe ring 26 of the lever 25 is the piece 35, provided with stub axles 36which can turn and slide in the guides 37, of a piece 38 adapted to turnin a bearing 39 and having a groove to support the piece 38 at itsextremity. The said bearing 39 is fixed to the nacelle or body.

The bell shaped casing 32 carries on its interior a piece 40 supportedby a ball bearing. This piece is provided with a groove in which isadapted to be housed a sphere 41 adjusted so as only to take upmovements of rotation, in reference to 40. T o maintain it in position.the cylindrical stub axles 42 are introduced ingrooves disposed in 40.It is to be understood that the bell shaped casing can tilt into variouspositions by turning around the centre of the sphere 41.

The sphere is prolonged by a body 45 which slides on the interior of theshaft 10 and carries projecting parts 46 which are introduced into theslots of the said shaft. The sphere and this body can only be displacedvertically with relation to the shaft 10.

- causes pieces 113 to slide on the uprights 108.

On the pieces 113 are articulated cranks 112, themselves articulated onthe rear part of the blades. Pivoted uprights 111 conjugate the upperand lower blades of a single helix forming with them and with theuprights 108 articulated parallelograms. The blades themselves beingable to turn on the tubular longerons 107, it will be understood thatall displacement of the circuits 114 causes a variation of incidence ofthe blades.

This variation will be simultaneous in all the-blades if the ring 115 isperpendicular to the axis of the helicopter, it will be on the contrary,periodic if the ring is oblique as is represented in Fig. 4.

The circuits 124 of the lower blades control in the same way theselatter, but, turning in a contrary direction from the upper helix, thesecircuits are controlled by an intermediary piece 125 composed of tworings articulated to the cardan and being able to turn the one on theother.

The piece 125 is controlled by intermediary circuits 117, mounted on achassis controlled by the rod 12; the circuits 117 are fixed to a bladeof the circuits 11, in such a way that if the rod 12, and consequentlythe chassis 120, are fixed, the circuits 114 transmit the same movementsto the upper and lower blades.

On the contrary, if the circuits 11 are fixed and if the chassis 120 isdisplaced by means of the rod 12, the piece will be displaced twice asmuch as the piece 12,. only driving the circuits of the lower helix.

The following explains 'how the three operations indicatedare effected.

1. The. pilot raises or lowers vertically the control wheel 13, andmoves 25 which pivots on the axles 36 which in their turn slide in 37,and the bell shaped casing32 which forms with the levers 27, 25. 30 anarticulated parallelogram, can only be displaced vertically.

The bell impelled in a vertical trajectory;

communicates its movement to the pieces 44 which move equally the cablesof all circuits 11 causing a general variation of incidence of theblades of the helices, increasing in order to rise, raising the controlwheel 13, and diminishing to descend, lowering it. constituting thus acontrol of reflex action.

As the bell shaped casing moves without taking a new tilt, the circuitsor cables 11 move the same amount and the variation of incidence is thesame for all the blades. On the other hand, the cardans do not turn, andthe only thing which is produced is the sliding of the rods 47 and 49.v

2. In setting or turning the lever 21 in any direction the bell 32 isset in a direction normal to this latter. causing a periodicdifferential warping in the blades of the helices. giving rise to astabilization couple for the inclination of the apparatus, which makesit turn into a plane passing through the axis of gvration of thesustaining helices and parallel to the lever 21. in the same directionin which the lever has been turned. constituting thus a control by meansof reflex action.

3. The pilot turns the control wheel 13, 14 and 15 turning also, thegearing 16 communicates to 18 a movement of rotation and, as

this piece is supported by its groove, the piece 12 which traverses itin the form of a screw is caused to rise or descend, making theincidence of a single helix vary in accordance with the description ofFig. 4 before referred to. There is given to the screw 12 a right orleft thread according to the case for which the variation of incidenceis made in the direction necessary in order that the micelle is tiltedin the direction in which the control wheel turns, in order toconstitute a control by reflex.

These operations do not involve a change in the position of the bellshaped casing, this latter does not transmit any movement to thecircuits or cables 11.

Naturally, the invention is not limited strictly to the constructionalembodiment above described, but on the contrary, in its applicationadmits of every kind of variation.

d/Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates of America is:-

l. =Control means for helicopter type flying machines having a pluralityof coaxially arranged sustaining helices with variable incidence,rotating in opposite directions, said means including a single controlmember supported by a lever pivotally attached to a fixed part of themachine, said member having associated therewith means to vary theincidence of a single helix on rotary movement of the control member,additional means being associated with said control member to cause ageneral variation of incidenceof the blades of both helices upon avertical move-' ment of the control member.

2. Qontrol means for helicopter type flying machines having a pluralityof co-axially arrangfi sustaining helices with variable incidencerotating in opposite directions, includmg a lever pivotally attached toa fixed part of the machine, a single control member pivoted on saidlever, said control member being connected to a vertically slidable rodfor transmitting movement to vary the angle of incidence of the bladesof one of the helices upon rotary movement of the control member whichlatter is also connected to a bell-shaped casing pivotally mounted inthe lever supporting the control member, movementof the bell-shapedcasing operating circuits to simultaneously impart to the blades of bothhelices movements of equal or difierent variations of incidence inaccordance with vertical movement of the control member.

3. Gontrol'means as claimed in claim 2, in whichthe control memberisconnected to the bell-shaped casing by a connecting rod, which controlmember with the sliding rod and pivotally mounted supporting leverconstitutes an articulated parallelogram.

4. Control means for helicopter type flying machines having a pluralityof eomally an shaped casing pivotally mounted on the lever supportingthe control member, means being provided to vary the angle of incidenceof the blades of the said helix in accordance with rotary movement ofthe control member.

5, Control means as claimed in claim 4 in which the bell-shaped casingsupports a member attached tov the circuits by rods, which latterdisplace the circuits in accordance with angular movement of thebellshaped casing, for the purposesdescribed.

6. Control means as claimed in claim 2, in which the vertically slidablerod has associated therewith a chassis for operating the circuits forcontrolling the movements of the blades of the helices, the saidcircuits imparting tilting movements to the sustaming helices throughthe intermediary of rings articu'lated within the supports for saidhelices. 7. Control means as claimed in claim 2, in which the means forimparting a vertical movement to the sliding rod in accordance withrotary movement of the control member, includes an internally threadedbevel wheel co-operating with a screw thread on one end of the slidablerod, said bevel wheel being driven by a further bevel wheel rotatablyconnected with said control member.

RAUL PATERAS PE CARA;

